In a case that has horrified the nation, a 70-year-old retired railway clerk named Omprakash Singh Rathore was found dead from starvation in his own home, while his 27-year-old mentally challenged daughter Rashmi was rescued in a skeletal condition after enduring nearly five years of brutal neglect by their hired caretakers. The shocking discovery unfolded on December 29, 2025, when relatives rushed to the familys house in Hind Tyre Gali upon hearing of Omprakashs death.

What they found inside the ground-floor rooms was unimaginable: Omprakashs decomposed body, emaciated beyond recognition, and Rashmi locked naked in a pitch-dark space, so starved that family member Pushpa Singh Rathore described her as having no flesh left on her body—just bones protruding everywhere. Omprakash, a respected senior clerk who lived neatly and independently after his wifes passing in 2016, had hired local couple Ram Prakash Kushwaha and Ramdevi around 2020 to assist with daily care for himself and Rashmi. But relatives now allege the pair turned monstrous, seizing the upper floors of the house, cutting off food, water, and contact with the outside world, and lying to family visits by claiming it was Omprakashs wish to stay secluded. Neighbors in Mahoba expressed disbelief, remembering the once-dignified retiree who never hinted at the nightmare unfolding behind closed doors.

Rashmi was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors are treating her severe dehydration and malnutrition; shes stable but faces a tough recovery under family watch. Omprakashs body went for post-mortem, with early signs pointing to prolonged starvation as the cause. Mahoba police swiftly arrested the couple, slapping them with charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, wrongful confinement, and criminal neglect, as public fury mounts and demands grow for the strictest punishment. A senior officer called it pure inhumanity, exploiting the vulnerable for property gain.

This tragedy shines a harsh light on the risks of informal caregiving in India, where millions of elderly and disabled depend on outsiders amid family separations due to jobs and migration. It echoes other grim stories, like the 2022 Mumbai case of a senior chained by aides or the 2023 Delhi neglect scandal, reminding families to run police-verified background checks, set up home CCTV, and make surprise visits. As the investigation deepens with calls for witness tips, Mahoba residents hope justice brings some solace to Rashmis fragile new start.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from NDTV.